News

Supporters, Major League Soccer Clash Over Cascadia Cup

by
AP
AP |
Jan. 25, 2013 3:27 p.m.
| Portland

The Cascadia Cup, created back in 2004 by soccer supporters to celebrate the rich rivalry between clubs in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver, is now the unexpected center of a conflict between those groups and Major League Soccer.

It started when MLS intended to trademark the term “Cascadia Cup” in the United States and Canada — prompting outrage from the fans who named the yearly head-to-head competition between the Sounders, Whitecaps and Timbers, and gave it a stately silver trophy.

MLS claims it wants to protect the Cascadia Cup from outsiders looking to exploit it. The supporters fear that MLS itself will be exploiting the expression.